My wife dragged me to the Hallmark store today and I was pleasantly surprised to see something I could use on my standard gauge layout. Hallmark has produced a lighted tin building as a Christmas decoration that is about the right size for standard gauge. I bought one, picture below, and in the future will convert it to look a little more real for my train layout like I did with the one I bought last year in Michael’s, also pictured below.
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Thanks for the tips! Just bought one on sale from Hallmark's store for $7.95 plus shipping. Hope it's rugged enough to stand moving from one SGMA show layout to another SGMA show layout.
It looks similar to the galvanized metal candle holders that my Norwegian grandmother used to decorate her fireplace mantel with during the holiday season.
Bob Nelson
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Wow! Those buildings are terrific. Have you any other pictures you could share. Nice collections. thanks, Wayne Walter
Thanks for the heads-up, fellas. Just ordered three of these and will pick them up at my local store (3 miles away) to save on shipping cost. They'll be great to paint/bash.
waynew posted:Wow! Those buildings are terrific. Have you any other pictures you could share. Nice collections. thanks, Wayne Walter
Wayne,
Assuming you are referring to the picture I posted, I wish I owned those buildings but no such luck. Rather, I found the picture online after doing an image search looking for "Scandinavian metal house lanterns" like those my grandmother owned. Do the search yourself and you will find online pictures of many more galvanized zinc building lanterns.
Bob Nelson
Bob (NAVY.SEAL); Thanks for the information. I will be searching. Thanks again, Wayne
I was just in the local K-mart and they had some smaller tin houses at 50% off in the Christmas section. These are still a good size for a Standard Gauge cottage and they have real glass in the windows. I picked up one for $7.50.
The K-Mart near me didn't have anything like that!
Gentlemen,
Thanks for the info, I will need to check this Tin house out, mine are more American Retro however, and now harder to find in absolutely perfect shape.
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Went to the Hallmark store last weekend and they had a couple of the tin buildings. Oicked up one for 50% off of the $15.95 price ($7.97). What a deal!
Going to do what George S is doing. Remove the rood paint and mask and paint as I go. Planning to apply a frosted plastic to the inside of the house for the windows add a new light system Try to see what to do with the roof to make it a bit more realistic/tinplate, apply a wrinkle paint to it? Should be a quick/fun project.
RonH posted:Went to the Hallmark store last weekend and they had a couple of the tin buildings. Oicked up one for 50% off of the $15.95 price ($7.97). What a deal!
Going to do what George S is doing. Remove the rood paint and mask and paint as I go. Planning to apply a frosted plastic to the inside of the house for the windows add a new light system Try to see what to do with the roof to make it a bit more realistic/tinplate, apply a wrinkle paint to it? Should be a quick/fun project.
Found that my local store still had 4 left from the holidays, so I bought one and I may go back for the rest. Also grabbed one of those Wow Toys HO Christmas sets for $8.00 (Amazon wants $30.00). Great 1st train gifts for grandkids and great-grandkids and the whistle will drive their parents absolutely batty.
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I started with a base coat of Rustoleum White Gloss + Primer, but it did not hold. I thought I prepped the surface ok by washing it. However, the paint flaked off when I masked it for a different color and it bubbled when I tried to paint over it, even after over a week of drying. Maybe there was a lacquer coat on the tin that I didn't get off first?
I stripped and repainted today.
I would like to paint the doors and shutters red and the window trim white. It is tricky to mask, because several of the windows are curved.
George
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BTW, not sure why that picture is so grainy. I will take another tomorrow. The paint is nice and shiny now.
Stopped by Hallmark today and picked up another tin house for 50% off ($8.00), now I have 3.
From Georges experience with the paint falling off I will use a industrial type Scotch-Bright # 7447, then give it a wash in lacquer thinner. Once dry I will use Rustoleum's metal etching primer and proceed with a lot of masking. The roof I picked up a Rustoleum brownish texture paint and with to the scallop edges and ridge of the roof in copper to simulate copper. The bottom of the roof will be done in a black semigloss. I will give the window areas a spray of white and once dry will mask the windows off and spray the main part of the house with a light green color and the gables will be done in a darker green. The two shutters on the end will be done with the lighter green, Just a lot of masking and waiting for the paint to cure between coats and masking. I will do the other buildings the same way but will substitute the greens for Blues of tans. Thank again Pete from Kansas for alerting us about these tin plate houses.
RonH posted:Stopped by Hallmark today and picked up another tin house for 50% off ($8.00), now I have 3.
From Georges experience with the paint falling off I will use a industrial type Scotch-Bright # 7447, then give it a wash in lacquer thinner. Once dry I will use Rustoleum's metal etching primer and proceed with a lot of masking. The roof I picked up a Rustoleum brownish texture paint and with to the scallop edges and ridge of the roof in copper to simulate copper. The bottom of the roof will be done in a black semigloss. I will give the window areas a spray of white and once dry will mask the windows off and spray the main part of the house with a light green color and the gables will be done in a darker green. The two shutters on the end will be done with the lighter green, Just a lot of masking and waiting for the paint to cure between coats and masking. I will do the other buildings the same way but will substitute the greens for Blues of tans. Thank again Pete from Kansas for alerting us about these tin plate houses.
Sounds like it will be beautiful!
You might want to try a Jasco stripper on it. It may be that it had a lacquer coat that I couldn't see.
Has anyone finished painting one of the Hallmark houses yet. i'm just starting mine an would like to see how one came out. By the way I went back to the store yesterday and they still had 6 in stock so I had tl buy another as it was only $8.50.
Hi Pete, I have 3 houses. ToOK the roof of of one and used a commercial scotch Brite on it and going to wipe it down with lawyer thinner. The window will be done in a frosted plastic and will replace the interior light. I also have plans to block the series of hole on the sides between the first and second floor. Planning get to primprove themail roof today after I make a wood chimney. I will post some pictures on the progress. Thanks again for theverything heads up on the buildings. I got mine for 50 percent off of the 15.95 price.